670 



O VEN-BIRD 



It seeks no concealment, for its wonderful nest ^ is placed in the 

 most conspicuous situations, on the top of a post, a bare rock or a 

 leafless branch, being a massive structure with strong thick walls, 

 composed of mud mixed with bits of straw or fibres, roughly 



Sectiox of Oven-bikd's Nest. 



globular in form with an upright opening in front whence a 

 partition extends nearly to the back, forming an ante-chamber to 

 the portion which contains the 4 or 5 Avhite eggs, laid on a bed of 

 soft dry grass. The habits of this species have been mentioned 

 by Mr. Darwin {Nat. Voij. chap, v.) and described at some length 

 by Mr. Hudson {Argent Orn. i. pp. 167-170), beside Durnford (IiA.% 



FURNAEIUS. 



Geobates. 



(After Swaiiison.) 



Geositta. 



1877, p. 179) and Mr. E. Gibson (0/7. cit. 1880, pp. 16-18), to say 

 nothing of Burmeister (Sysi. Uebers. Th. Brasil. Vijgel, iii. pp. 3, 4) 

 and Dorbigny {Voy. Amir. Mirid. Ois. p. 250). 



Allied to Furnarius are the genera Geobates and Geositta, of which 



^ Not manj' figures of this have been given. There is one, such as a cliilJ 

 might draw, in Molina's Compcndio (tav. 2, Bologna: 1776), and that in a 

 Natitral History (iv. p. 113) edited by Duncan is hardly more instructive : 

 Dr. Goldi's figures {Zuul. Gart. 1886, pp. 268, 271) are fair. 



